The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-08-19

bia there could be no doubt. A he
returned from the reception room there
was foam on his jaws, and he was so
weak he staggered.
Had l beea well man and fully
armed my situation would have been
bad enough. There l was, perfectly
helpless, locked in with the brute. and
knowing that it might be hours before
death came to him. My servant had
key to the door, and when he re-
turned he would open it and walk in.
There was not the slightest question
but that the dog would at once attack
HIM. | had two or three minutes in
which to think, and it was wonderful
how clear headed | was. looked upon
my own chances as hopeless, and there
lore determined that when Henry re-
turned l would call out to him before he
got the door open. was also concerned
for fear the dog would get out of the
building. 1t was a crowded neighbor.
hood, and he might bite a score of peo-
pie before he was destroyed.
1t is said that the presence of a great
danger sharpens the sense Of hearing. l
believe this to be true, for l have had
several personal experiences. As [ lay
there waiting for my servant to return l
plainly heard sounds which could not
have come to my ears under ordinary
circumstances. At the foot of the second
flight of stairs, distance of fully 70 feet
from my bed, Henry was stopped by
young man who lodge on that floor. l
heard him say:
81 was waiting here to tell you that
Capt. Williams brute of dog passed
up stairs a short time ago. Is the cap
tain there?"
''Hc was not there when | left"
"And he has not come in after the
dog The animal had scay look, and
you'd better be careful how you drive
him out"
Thank you, SIR, III hurry right up"
heard my man come up stairs and
along the hall. As soon as he saw that
my bedroom door was shut he seemed to
suspect the worst, and he acted like
hero. He came down the hall on tip
toe, put his face close to the door, and
sang out:
Colonel, know the big dog is in
your room and l am going for help. If
he comes near you shut your eyes and
pretend to be dead"
The sound of his voice put the dog
into frenzy. He growled and snarled
and snapped, and as the man hurried
down the hall the beast rushed from
under the bed with dreadful howl and
began rushing around the room as be
fore. After making the circle of the
bedroom four or five times, he dashed
into the reception room. There he
quite overturned the centre table, and
in his fury he wrenchel off leg with
his teeth and destroyed the upholstering
of the sofa. l was terribly excited, and
had l given way to my feelings I
shut my eyes tightly, 5raccd my nerves
by chiding myself for a coward, and
when the climax came | was fairly ready
for it. | knew that the dog would
sooner CT later turn to me, ard as he
lift the reception room he was on the
foot of the bed in two bounds. There
was an open book lying there, and he
seized and worried this for a moment.
Then came walking up to my face,
bearing hs full weight on my broken
LEG, and giving me intense pain. My
arms and hands were on the cover, and
the foam from his mouth fell upon my
bare flesh. He put both paws on my
crest. and ran his nose over my face to
snuff at me, and he was all the time
snarling and whining in a way to take
the nerve away from the stoutest man.
| don't know whether he would have
bitten me ornot, cou.d | have remained
quiet, but such thing as holding my
nerves steady for over a minute was
utterly impossible. 1 was feeling that l
must throw up my hands and scream out
vixen the beast lcapcd off the bed. He
had heard people in the hall. He ran
about the room whining and snarling,
and all at once made a spring for the
door of the reception room, which was
being shut to by human hands. Aspace
six or eight inches wide was left, and
when the dog attempted to push his
head into this a couple Of bullets were
fred into him and he backed out to fall
dead. Henry had summoned two po-
Iicemen. and while the brute stood over
me on the bed the faithful servant had
entered the reception room and pushed
the door as nearly shut as they wanted
it. having believed that the dog would
behave lust as he did. That Car was
suffering with hydrophoDia none could
doubt from his looks and conduct. In
side of twenty days two house dogs
which he had snapped at as he came up
went mad, and then there was no further
question that had had close shave
from a horrible death. Il New York Sum